Bones of a Feather - Carolyn Haines [73]
“I implore you,” Eleanor said. “I don’t have the ransom money. I can’t save Monica without your help. I’ll tell you the truth about everything. It isn’t what it looks like. Monica and I aren’t swindlers. We’ve made bad decisions, but they’ve mostly hurt us.”
“And Barclay?” I said. “What kind of mother abandons her child because he’s an inconvenience?”
Eleanor had cast aside all dignity and begged. “Please. Please help me save my sister. Whatever we’ve done, she doesn’t deserve to die alone and scared.”
Tinkie crossed the room. “Sarah Booth was right in the beginning. We should have insisted the authorities handle this. You need law enforcement to hunt for Jerome and Mr. Hightower. If they’re injured on the property, you need to find them, and quickly.”
Pride for my partner formed a lump in my throat. Tinkie always had my back—and Sweetie’s, too.
The ringing of the telephone stopped us cold.
A dozen thoughts shot through my brain, but the predominant one was that only bad news came at three in the morning. Judging from Eleanor’s face, she had exactly the same thought. Instead of answering, she didn’t move.
The phone rang twice more before Tinkie turned on the recording device still attached. “Answer it,” she directed Eleanor.
Eleanor started to refuse, then a shaky hand reached for the phone. “Hello.”
A man spoke sharply. “The drop will be at midnight. You have twenty-one hours. I’ll call with further instructions.”
“Wait!” Eleanor cried. “Wait, please—”
The burr of the dead line echoed in the silent room.
16
Eleanor returned the phone to its cradle. She tottered, as if she would fall, then stiffened her spine. “Please don’t quit now. See this through until he calls with the drop instructions. Please. I have no one else. Jerome is missing. Millicent hates me. I intend to call that man, Barclay. If he is a true Levert, perhaps he’ll help me.”
The log in the fireplace snapped. Sparks flumed up the chimney. It wasn’t that Eleanor’s plea didn’t touch me—my heart wasn’t completely made of stone. But she’d acted in bad faith from the moment she’d called us, and I couldn’t afford to forget it. I owed it to Graf and Oscar to remember.
“I need a word alone with my partner,” Tinkie said.
Eleanor reluctantly left the room. For a long moment, there was only silence. I didn’t look at Tinkie. I waited to hear what she’d say.
“I know we should leave,” Tinkie said. “Eleanor hasn’t been honest about all the personal stuff, but is that really even part of the case? I don’t think Monica has been taken by a lover she dumped. Yes, she’s gone all over town making trouble, but this isn’t about sexual payback. You heard the kidnapper. This isn’t some lovesick guy wanting to punish Monica. He was cold. I’m afraid he’ll kill her if I don’t help Eleanor get the money together.”
The exact same thought had crossed my mind. “I’m sorry for Eleanor and Monica, but they’re liars. Can we really help them, Tinkie? The FBI would have a much better chance of securing Monica’s safety.” I took a breath. “There’s too much at stake. You’re right, the person who has Monica is deadly earnest. Once again, I’ve risked you, Sweetie Pie, Chablis, and myself. Whoever struck Sweetie could have killed her. It could as easily have been you.”
“Jerome may also be in danger. Was he taken or did he leave on his own?”
“I have no idea. Affiliation with the Leverts is obviously dangerous. And I’m sorry. I won’t risk your safety or mine. We can’t fix this.”
Tinkie took a poker and stabbed at the fire. “We can’t just tuck tail and run home.”
“What do you suggest we do?” I wanted to go home. I wanted to call Graf and see if there might be a possibility to hop a flight to La-La-Land with my dog and spend a few days in the golden California sun. The darkness of Briarcliff had tainted my soul. I was ready for light and love.
“Let’s help Eleanor